Dark Kingdom Rising Sides
by ssfr
Summary: Dark Kingdom Rising stories that don't focus on the main Sailor Moon characters. Each one should stand on its own. Ch. 1 - A prolog, of a sort. Ch. 2 - The aftermath of a hentai anime. Ch. 3 - Kim Jin-yung is a field artillery KATUSA
1. Unexpected Situation

This story is based, hard, around the end of the _Oniisama E . . ._ TV series.

Of course, it completely warps basic parts of that universe to fit my DKR universe, but it still contains many spoilers, so.

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Genom Research Presents

A

W. Suika Roberts

Fanfic

Unpleasant Surprises

Based on the _Oniisama E . . . _ TV series

Which was based off the manga by Ikeda Ryouko

-Even before Tomoko met me at the train station, I knew something was wrong. The feeling had kept growing in my belly since fifteen to three, when it had appeared, and I started trying to fight it off.-

`Tomoko?'

I only catch a few words she says, `Saint Juste-sama' and `Hospital', then she's crying against me. My guts squeeze, and I feel like vomiting, right there by the gates out of the train station.

`This is Saint Juste-sama's room,' Tomoko says, and reaches around me to open that basement room's door.

I step, reluctant, into the room. Steel tables, Ichinomiya-san, Miya-sama, standing, Kaoru-no-kimi on the desk against the wall, Saint Juste-sama's bracelet and a scattering of other things on another table, and a draped form on the center table.

-Oniisama, there, standing in the door, looking at Saint Juste-sama laying on the table, a small white cloth over her face, I realized two things I didn't want to.-

`What's wrong?' I ask, desperate to hear that she'll be OK, that this is some horrible joke so I can . . .

I push past Miya-sama with barely a word, pull the cover down off her face, start babbling about soup, rush towards the door to fix some, as if soup could fix everything.

-Oniisama, sometimes I regret not making soup. She'd only been dead a few hours, I was frantic, and my power was just coming into bloom. It might have helped, it would have calmed me down, and it would have made everyone worry about me, more than they did.-

Tomoko catches me before I get out the door, and I struggle for a moment, desperate to make it not be true, make her not be dead.

I cave, let it be true, bury my face against Tomoko's neck. What am I going to do? We were supposed to watch the sunset together, not.

I gulp to keep from vomiting on Tomoko, who'd forgive me, but.

I touch my belly, still flat, but somehow I know, even though it's only been a few weeks since then, since she saved me from Miya-sama, since she started with the ear Miya-sama kissed, and didn't stop. I didn't say no, but I'm not sure I could have. I think I liked it. It's only been a few weeks, I've only been vomiting before breakfast for a few days, girls can't get other girls pregnant. But I know.

-I thought about going to Mariko-san's house, thought of telling her-

Mariko would help me, would hold me gently, let me take that pretty face between my hands, kiss her, those dark eyes wide and shocked, then closing as she melts against me, soft curves pressing me into the wall as she responds.

And then we'd have two pregnant girls, because this time I wouldn't run, and two impossible things have already happened to me, so why shouldn't a third.

-but decided to keep quiet.-

* * *

`Take something, something to remember her. Rei would have wanted you too, I'm sure,' Miya-sama, Fukiko-san, says.

I nod, let my heart lead me, pick up the dark haired, green eyed doll Sai- Rei, Rei! had said looked like me, the first time I came over here. I clutch the doll close, press my face to her hair.

`You know I gave her that doll, don't you?'

`Yes, she told me,' I look up at her, there's something soft, gentle, maybe even loving in her gaze that I've never seen before, not even when she was, especially not when she was-

`I think that might be a good thing, somehow,' she says, and almost reaches out to ruffle my hair, but drops her hand again almost before it moved.

Miya-sama walks past, giving me a little smile that somehow feels more real than the ones she'd given me before all this happened.

-Miya-sama's changed, Saint Juste-sama's death had taken something out of her, some hardness, some dislike, some hatred, perhaps, has vanished from her eyes-

Tomoko drags me off to look at the board, which shows the results of the petition. The Sorority is abolished. I smile, and blink back tears.

I hold my hair back, bending over the toilet, unwilling to believe that it hasn't even been three months yet. It's barely been two months since that day, and just over a month since she died. I can't believe no one has noticed, yet. The nausea tapers off sharply after breakfast, and I'm not showing yet, but still. Mariko and Tomoko both know something is up, but not what. Summer break will be soon.

`After swim class, let's go out somewhere, for tea or something,'

Tomoko says, changing into her suit.

I change myself, carefully not watching her. I used to, before the other students started to talk, before I realized why. She really is cute, `I don't really feel like it,' I say, the world shimmering slightly.

`Come on, I hardly get to spend any time with you, ever since,' she cuts herself off.

`It's OK, I've just got things I need to deal with myself,' I tell her, smile, catch her shoulders, `OK?'

She looks worried, `OK. But you're coming to Roxy with me after class,' she smiles.

A warmth fills my chest, and I lean in and kiss her gently on the lips, `As you wish.'

-Oniisama, what have I done?-

* * *

Tomoko is watching me from across the table, picking at her food, her fingers occasionally lifting to brush her lips.

`I'm sorry,' I tell her.

`No,' she says, `It's OK. Why did you kiss me?'

I shove the back of my hand into my mouth to still it, to keep the swirl of thoughts from escaping before I can sort them. I bite it, a little fold of skin between my teeth, take a deep breath, and let go, look at the little circle of toothmarks on my hand, `Because you're cute, you're my friend, and I wanted to,' I finally say.

`Nanako!' she says, leaning over the table, dishes rattling, her fingers cupping the back of my head, `I'm glad.'

I blink, reach, and clench her other hand in my own. She clenches back, and smiles.

`I can't let the flowers dry out,' I say, as we step out into the gathering dusk.

`I'll go with you,' she says, and grabs my hand, squeezing it gently. When we get there I kneel, replace the flowers in the vase marking the spot where Rei . . . died.

*Is this OK, Saint Juste-sama? Going on like this?*

`It doesn't suit you,' she says in my hallucination, `Not cigarettes, nor other forms of suicide. It just doesn't suit you.'

I stand, and smile at Tomoko.

She's not looking at me, but up on the overpass, `There's someone up there.'

`Where?'

`There!' I can feel my jaw drop, as I recognize her, `She's been there since we got here, must have been,' Tomoko finishes.

`Kaoru-no-kimi,' I say, realizing that while I don't know what I lost, she lost her best? only? friend.

-Tomoko tried to lead me away, but I outweigh her, and was obstinate. Kaoru-no-kimi didn't move as we approached, even though Tomoko stomped a bit. She clutched me so hard, Oniisama, when we gathered her into our arms-

-She was so pliable, lost. We forced coffee and pastry into her, but she wouldn't talk.-

`Kaoru-no-kimi,' I started, then, `Kaoru!'

She looked up at me in shock, `What?'

`Talk, I'll listen. I won't tell anyone who doesn't need to know.'

`We won't,' Tomoko takes Kaoru's free hand.

`Thank you, but no,' Kaoru says, firmly, tears trickling down her face again.

`This isn't just Rei's death, is it?' I ask.

Tomoko looks at me in shock, and Kaoru's eyes widen just a little bit.

`No,' Kaoru answers.

`Is it something to do with the love you are forgetting?'

She shakes her head, tears flying, then suddenly she's sobbing against my shoulder again.

`The reason why you need to forget?'

She nods into my shoulder.

-We got her to my house, and settled, a bit, but she wouldn't tell us anything else. She was gone when we woke in the morning.-

`Nanako,' Mama called, `Telephone. Someone from the Basketball club!'

`I've got it!'

-They told me she wasn't there for practice, and they had a game that

night. Her parents had told them she'd stayed at my house, so they hoped I'd know where she was. I didn't. Oniisama, what's happened to her?-

I hang up the phone, then snatch it up again, dialing a familiar number.

`Moshi mosh! Mariko?' I ask as soon as they pick up.

`What? Nanako-san?'

`Mariko! It's Kaoru-no-kimi, she's missing, and something's wrong.'

`I'll meet you at the station in,' there's a short pause, and rustling, `Fifteen minutes, OK, Nanako?' she asks, a tiny stress on "Nanako."

`That would be fine, Mariko,' I tell her.

Tomoko is already waiting when I get there, and Mariko arrives a few minutes later.

They follow me readily, but ask after a little while, `Where are we going?'

`Saint Juste-sama's room. She'll know where she is, I'm sure.'

`Nanako,' Mariko says softly, `She's not there.'

I blink at the flat logic of that, wonder why I still need to go there, why I know I can talk to her if I go there, `Maybe not, but I need to go there.'

I feel the glance Mariko and Tomoko exchange over my shoulders, but they keep following me.

I reach for the bell, then notice the new name on the tag, and let my hand drop, *Rei, where is she?* I ask instead.

Smoke in a dark room, Miya-sama's silhouette traced on the wall, a bevy of small holes where Rei's knives had struck. Kaoru setting out cigarettes like incense. A sense of "not yet."

*Thank you,* I say, and turn around, `She'll be at school, in the tower room. Maybe we'll find her before that, however.'

They look at me like I'm strange, but follow me back to the elevator.

Out front I wait, I don't know what for, until Ichinomiya-san drives up, his brakes squealing as he stops in front of us.

Almost before I finished telling him, we're piling into his little car, somehow fitting four in the two seat car, Tomoko squeezing behind the seats and Mariko climbing into my lap, her bare legs warm and sweaty against my own.

`What does Henmi-san have to do with this?' Mariko asks, shifting sweetly in my lap. I shake my head to clear that feeling, clutch her a little more tightly, rain beginning to drip down the windshield.

`You wouldn't know, but Henmi Takehiko is probably the person she needs the most right now. About a year ago,' he pauses, and the car floats for an instant, then settles, rebounds, continues, `They were a couple.'

`I don't know everything, but they broke up, but they don't hate, or even dislike, each other. It seems to me that even now they share a bond.'

-Oniisama, I'd never have known-

`She's been coping, but Rei's death hit her hard,' I say.

`But something happened yesterday, something to do with why you broke up, that much we got out of her,' Tomoko says.

My oniisama looks pensive.

`Henmi,' Ichinomiya-san starts.

`Loan me your car keys,' my oniisama says, and Ichinomiya-san hands them over. He rushes from the apartment, and pulls out less vigorously than Ichinomiya-san would have.

There's no one else in the train car. Mariko looks at Tomoko, who smiles and nods, then stands, settles back into my lap, wraps her arms around my shoulders, and kisses me. Her red lips are so soft against mine. Another arm wraps around my shoulders, warm lips brush my neck.

I jerk back, surprised, and Tomoko's lips capture my own.

I shake my head, `What's going on here? Why are you doing this?'

`Because we've wanted to,' Tomoko answers,

`For a long, long time,' Mariko continues, `Since I've met you.'

`Since the beginning of the year, when I thought I'd lost you.'

`Why?'

`Because you're a lovely woman who'll rush around all night for a friend, because you care so much, because you're just you, because you're the cutest person I know,' Mariko says, then leans in and kisses me again.

`Because I can't stand the thought of trying to live without you, and I don't want to see you get hurt again,' Tomoko says, then kisses Mariko, before kissing me again.

`What? Why are you . . . ?' I fluster, holding them close, an arm around each of them.

Mariko kisses Tomoko, slowly, thoroughly, with _tongue_, then turns to me, `Because I won't see you hurt by trying to choose between us.'

They look at each other, smile, then both lean in at once. There are too many noses, and chins, and foreheads, but somehow we manage a three-way kiss, and it is _so_ lovely.

I settle back when the kiss breaks, retrieve an arm and rub my forehead, `Ow. That was nice,' I smile.

-Oniisama, this much happiness makes me uneasy.-

-Waking up in a pile of naked girls must be the nicest feeling in the world-

I wiggle free, check the lock on the door, pull on a shirt and shorts, then step out, rushing to the toilet, tying my hair back as I go.

I feel my belly while I brush my teeth. It is still a little soft, but already fuller, tighter, somehow.

I wake the other two, change, kiss them both, then rush out the door, making excuses to my parents as I go.

I trudge up the tower stairs, look at the ladder, sigh, and climb up.

She's there, as Rei'd told me she would be. She's set the cigarettes in a canned-coffee can, a bouquet of white flowers layed beside it.

`I guess you'd remembered, this was Rei's favorite place. She'd come here to skip class all the time.'

`You know, everyone's been worried about you, the basketball club, and Ichinomiya-san, and Henmi-san, and us.'

`I'd completely forgotten about the game.'

`Um, I heard, from Ichinomiya-san, about Henmi-san . . . '

*Was it really like that?* I asked Rei as Kaoru told of falling in love.

`Sou,' Rei says, smiling slightly, nodding, white lace about her neck.

And then she showed me her reason for breaking up with him, `They had to remove one, as part of the surgery,' she says, her shirt still open. `If there's a relapse within five years, there really isn't much hope,' she continues.

Something forces me forward, and I touch her gently, just below the scars, `There won't be one.'

`How do you know?' her voice is harsh.

`I do,' I don't know how, but I do.

`Are you willing to risk your older brother getting hurt, on that knowing?'

`We're just-' I cut myself off at the look on her face, `He's my real older brother, not just my pretend one, isn't he?'

`I thought you knew,' Kaoru says awkwardly.

I wrap my arms around her waist, `I still say that you aren't going to have a relapse.'

`I so want to believe you.'

* * *

`Nanako, could we go for a walk?' Papa asks.

I look at him, surprised, then nod, `Sure.'

We walk down to the river, and he tells me he has a son, and he loves him.

`I'm glad you said that,' I tell him, `because if you hadn't, if you had said you didn't love him, you wouldn't be the Papa I always thought you were,' I smile, blink back tears, `Does Henmi Takehiko know that you love him?'

`I hope so,' Papa says.

`Have you told him?' I close my eyes, for I haven't told either of them, yet.

`Not recently enough.'

* * *

`Mariko,' I catch her hand, and she smiles anxiously, `Tomoko,' she gives me her hand, and they are calmer already, `I love you.'

`Nanako!' they cry in harmony, and wrap their arms around me, holding me close.

-Oniisama, this much happiness really makes me anxious-

* * *

We don't see Takehiko and Kaoru for a week, and then, they show up for dinner, and Mama has enough to feed them, too, the same way she's had enough for Tomoko and Mariko, who have almost moved in they're over so much, but neither her nor Papa have said anything about that. I think they know, and there's a happy glint to their eyes, sometimes, when they look at us. I smile at my breakfast, not having had to brush my teeth before it for two days. Maybe I'm over the morning sickness, finally. That would be nice, `Tomoko and I are going to Mariko's new place today.'

`Mariko? Not Mariko-san?' Mama teases gently.

`Mariko,' I answer, smiling.

* * *

`It should be around here, near a playground.'

`Is that it, over there?' I point at the tall, reddish building on the other side.

`Yes! That should be it!' Tomoko says, and grabs my hand, taking off at a run.

I follow, since I still can, even though it is a hot day.

-Oniisama, I still haven't told anyone, not even you.-

`Come in,' Mariko greets us, with her mother, `It's very different, much smaller,' she sees us to the kitchen table, seats us, her hand brushing up my side as she scoots my chair in, then sits next to me with a little smile. Tomoko scowls a little, her eyes belying the set of her lips, but I feel Mariko's leg brush mine as she rubs Tomoko's leg between her feet.

The surprised look on her face makes me smile.

`Could you get us some Darjeeling tea, Mama?' Mariko asks, a lovely glint in her eyes, a broad grin in her voice.

`And the Creme Brule, as well?' her mama asks.

`If that's OK?'

`Just a moment.'

`This is our castle, Mama's and mine,' Mariko says, `There are some trade offs, we have to share a bedroom, the bath is smaller, I can't stomp on the stairs, but it is much more defensible.'

`Oh, Mariko,' her mother says, and pats her head.

After the tea, in Mariko's living room, listening to the boat whistles, Mariko starts, `Papa, I heard, wants to see me every month. I'm not sure if I want to, but I'll think on it, since he was the person who betrayed us.'

`I think it would be good,' Tomoko says, `I'm not as close to mine as Nanako is to hers, but I'd miss him if he left.'

`When Kaoru and Takehiko met us at the fair, to tell us they were getting married, did you see how happy Papa looked? He didn't say anything, but he was so happy. Even so, I could feel the echo of his sorrow and pain over all the time they could have had together, but didn't.'

`You seem so mature, recently,' Mariko says, hugging me.

`I've just been weepy, that's not the same thing,' I say, pressing my face to her neck, `When I've not been sticking my nose into other people's business, that is.'

`No, I think you've just grown up a lot, more than the rest of us

have, anyway.'

`Hey, she's the same age as us,' Tomoko complains.

`I'm never going to grow up,' Mariko says firmly, nuzzling against my hair, `I'm never going to understand other people's feelings, it just doesn't sit well with me.'

`So you won't see your father?'

`I'm thinking, still.'

`Mariko, really!'

`What, like you're the model of maturity?'

`Me? I could even be a mother by now, you know,' Tomoko says.

`I will be, in another five months or so,' I say.

The crash of breaking ceramic makes all of us turn to look at Mariko's mother, `What?' she demands.

`It could be you didn't want to say that here,' Rei says, an amused glint in her eye.

*Tell me about it,* I tell her.

`Nanako?' Mariko looks at me, then at Tomoko, then turns back to her mother, `We need to talk, privately, for a little bit, OK?'

`I'll go for a walk,' Mariko's mother says, `I'll be back in a few hours?'

`That should be fine,' I say, having finally found my voice, `Thank you,' I tell her.

`You're welcome,' she gathers me into a hug, `Poor thing, I should have felt it.'

`Felt it?'

`We'll talk later, OK?'

`Right,' I tell her, `It would be nice to know how it happened,' I glance worriedly at Mariko and Tomoko.

She smiles, `No, they aren't, and it takes a little effort,' she gives me a sympathetic smile, and leaves.

`What is she talking about?' Tomoko asks, before the front door has even closed.

I stand, walk to the partly open french door, and stand in it, hands on either side, the wind playing with my hair.

`Before you two I only had sex once.'

`What?' Mariko has the most hurt look on her face.

`Miya-sama had called me to the Sorority house, put lipstick on me, told me she loved me, kissed my ear, and shoved me down on the couch. Rei, Saint Juste-sama, saved me. Miya-sama wouldn't have stopped, and she was scaring me badly. Rei kissed my ear, where Miya-sama did. She didn't stop there, and I didn't tell her to.

`I don't think it was love, then, but it wasn't terrible.

`I realized, when Rei died, what had happened.'

`How?'

`I don't know.'

`What are you going to name her?' Mariko asks, smiling again, pulling me into a deep hug.

`I don't want to tempt,' I stop, rap my knuckles against my skull,

`We'll choose a good one when she's born,' I look at them hopefully, `If that's OK?'

Mariko smiles, holds out her right hand, pinkie crooked. Tomoko closes her eyes, looks down, then up again, holding out her right hand, pinkie at the ready.

`What are we promising?' I ask, holding out my pinkie.

`Love, support, protection,' Mariko says.

`Honor and family,' Tomoko says.

`Forever, even if we hate each other sometimes,' Mariko says, hooking my finger.

Tomoko hooks up, `Forever,' she says.

`Forever, then,' I say, and we shake, then each of us claps twice.

-Mariko's mother never would tell me how she knew what she did, but she was my first, and most important, magic teacher-

`It's like when one is with a man, if it isn't the right time in her cycle, she won't get pregnant. Condoms, oral sex, barriers, if it's the right time of month, and she even slightly wants it, she'll get pregnant.

`It works, somehow, with male magical people too, but they don't tell the females about it. It's probably very painful.'

`What do you mean?'

`Think about pushing something as big around as your father's wrapped together hands out your urethra,' she says, and I wince at the image, `Now imagine your urethra is six inches longer.'

`That probably would be painful.'

`Or maybe they do it some other way, and that's why they don't talk about it.'

`Doesn't someone's wife get them pregnant sometimes?'

`My cousin got her husband pregnant, but she was sworn to secrecy about it. She smiled a lot when she told me, though.'

`Huh.'

-We're going out to dinner, together, the three of us, Oniisama. It's so nice. I don't know if this will last, but it's nice to be able to walk along with a girl on either arm, me in jeans and a sweater while I still can, Mariko as always in a dress with a short skirt, and Tomoko in shorts.-

Mariko brushes my belly, just starting to really show at five months.

I don't know what we'll do about school, but we'll make out somehow.

* * *

After a little talk about school starting, and my health, and the baby's, and how Tomoko and Mariko are doing, he asks, `What did you want to ask me about? You invited me out here this time, and I thought you wanted to ask me something.'

`Yes.'

`So, what is it? I'm a little worried, wondering what you'll ask, but I'd like to know.'

`Papa! How am I supposed to ask if you're skipping the prelims?'

`So it's something you're nervous about?'

`Yeah.'

`Now I'm really nervous,' Papa says, a smile in his voice, we watch the rowers on the river for a little, `Don't worry, I'll give you a straight answer.'

`OK.'

I stand up, turn to face him, step back a few paces, prevaricate, `I know you're not my real father, but I want to know about my actual father, I want to know everything. I love you, and I know you love me, and you need to know that that is very important to me, but for my daughter, I need to know. Who was my father? Where are they now? What kind of person are they?'

`Your mother never told me, and I never asked. It seems she lived with your father for a long time, but never married them, and left some time after you were conceived, but before you were born. It never really mattered to me, and your mother always holds such things close. But I'm me, and you are you, so if you really need to know, she's the only one who knows.' I thank him, a little disappointed, and we chat of other things for a while.

* * *

-School was remarkable. Everyone seemed to know, but no one was horrible about it. I had many condolences for the hardship of having a baby with the father dead, and everyone was so kind to Tomoko and Mariko for looking after me. Even, no, especially the people who were sure we are more than friends. Oniisama, how can it be that the same people who were just awful last year are so wonderful now?-

Kaoru-no-kimi's final basketball game, everyone is cheering so loudly, Mariko and Tomoko included, from either side of me. Being six months pregnant has really started to interfere with my life, and this is just the beginning of twenty years of hard work. Tomoko and Mariko grab me to celebrate Kaoru making another shot, and I smile, I'm really looking forward to it.

Log:

3170/Bureaucracy/5, Zaraday:

In Kuwait, waiting to go to Iraq, acclimating, suchlike. Watched the last few eps of Oniisama E . . ., finally. As I was watching I kept thinking about what Nanako, Mariko, and Tomoko would be like as adults, at 30 or so, in my recent Dark Kingdom, and the way that world works grew this story as I watched the end of the series. That last monologue could be about Miya-sama, but I already had this all plotted out, so I ran with it.

Anyone who read this far should send me a comment, because I think this may be just too

tied to a tiny population who'd be interested.

Anyway.

3170/Aftermath/17:

Tiny edits.

3183/Confusion/12:

Uploaded/edited for ff . n


	2. Central Honshu

#include stddisclaimer2.h

Suika Roberts

Presents

Central Honshu

A

Dark Kingdom Rising

Side Story

* * *

With a smothered sigh Ayukawa Hikaru takes the call, `Dark Kingdom Child Protective Services, Central Honshu District, Agent Ayukawa, may I help you?'

`Yes, please,' the young woman on the other end, who sounds _maybe_ fifteen and a little butch, answers.

`It's school,' the woman's voice breaks, `It's Dogura-sensei, and Tomomi, or at least she said Tomomi told him to, but then she said stop, and he wouldn't, and I didn't want to, but they wouldn't stop, but now I want them, not Dogura-sensei, to do it again, and . . . '

`Shh,' Hikaru says, `What's your name?'

`Yu,' her voice catches a little.

`OK, what school?'

`Shirakawa Koukou.'

`Where are you?'

`My house, 1-2-256, Tarazuka.' [for lack of a closer idea -S]

`Stay there, we'll be there within three hours.'

`Thank You!' Yu almost cries.

`See you soon.'

Yu hangs up, then Hikaru.

`Magdelene?'

`Yes?'

`Have them start prepping the thirteen.'

The youma clerk shudders, but nods.

`Come on, it wasn't that bad.'

`I wasn't strapped out on the troop seat, either.'

`I rather like riding on the troop seat.'

`You're the only qualified pilot on that beast in the station, so you don't have to do it much.'

`True.' Hikaru acknowledges, a little smile on her lips. Magdelene

bustles off, and Hikaru picks up the phone again, dialing a familiar number.

`Ayukawa residence,' a woman answers.

`Hey, where's my husband?'

`In the latrine. He might have fallen asleep again.'

`Wake him up, we've got a live one.'

`Those are always better.'

`Maybe not this time, Madoka,' Hikaru says, `The complainant is pretty badly shook, and there may be a mage, or more than one, involved.'

`What's the complaint.'

`Rape at this point, by a teacher.'

`Oh,' the familiar rattle of the phone being pressed between shoulder and ear, and the shhf-snick of an autopistol's slide being pulled back and dropped again as Madoka checks to make sure she's got a round chambered.'

`What's up Madoka?' a muffled male voice asks.

`A case,' Madoka says, `Where is it?'

`Tarazuka.'

`In Tarazuka.'

`Oh joy. Any indications of anything big?' he asks, then yawns.

`No,' Hikaru answers, and Madoka relays.

`Then have them put the shield on the troop seat, and I'll sleep on the way there.'

`Gotcha. I'll pick you up at the LZ,' she doesn't specify which, since there is only one closer to their house than the office.

Hikaru finishes her preflight on the H13, checks the mattress and face shield on the left troop seat, and restarts the already warm motor, listening for any irregularities. The six-cylinder horizontally opposed motor makes its normal burbling roar, almost lost under the trop-throp-throp of the rotors.

`Kansai Control, this is DKCPS-134, radio check, over.'

`DKCPS-134, we read you loud and clear, over.'

`Kansai Control, DKCPS-134, bound for Tarazuka, lifting off,' the

little helicopter lifts easily under her hands, swinging around towards `her' LZ.

`Roger. We have you on radar. Have a safe trip, over.'

`I'll try. DKCPS-134 out.'

A minute later she brings it down again, onto the big white H marking the helipad in the local park, which seems to serve no greater purpose than to amuse the local children. Kyousuke and Madoka rush over, Kyousuke's poncho fluttering wildly in the downwash, both bent over to reduce the risk of an accidental blade strike.

Kyousuke curls up on the troop seat, as much as he could, anyway, since the seat is very narrow, and Madoka straps him down. He gives her fingers a kiss, then closes his eyes, giving every indication of going straight to sleep. Madoka climbs into the passenger seat, and straps herself down, then plugs her helmet into the intercom, `So, is there anything else?'

`Not yet. Megumi has some background info, and a landing site with refueling capabilities, but other than that, not much. Our girl's a member of the gymnastics team, one of the perps is a fellow team-member, and very well connected in the local bureaucracy, and the other is the coach for the boy's team, a former gymnast. Apparently at least one other person is involved.'

`Oh joy. What did you mean about a mage?'

`Here,' Megumi says, and plays back the whole call, from when Magdelene first picked up.

`Oh,' Madoka closes her eyes for a little bit, `Yeah, some sort of mind control seems possible. We'll see.'

`Yes, we will.'

A little more than an hour and a half later, Hikaru brings the chopper back down. Madoka hops out the passenger side, and wakes Kyousuke, and together they tie the little machine down while Hikaru finishes her shutdown checks, then ties the rotor.

Once that is accomplished she grabs her spice, squashing them together in her arms, and gives each of them a kiss.

Both of them smile, Kyousuke tiredly, and touch her face when she lets them go.

Hikaru looks around, `OK, now, Megumi said,' a local police car pulls up, `There it is.'

All three of them somehow fit in the front seat, with the officer driving to their left.

Hikaru makes introductions as they drive, `I'm Agent Ayukawa Hikaru, and these are my husband Kyousuke, he's our healer, and Special Agent Ayukawa Madoka, my wife.'

The officer gives them a distracted smile and nod, `Can you tell me anything?'

`Not yet. Someone called us for help, so we're here to find out what is happening and what needs to be done.'

`Minor help, or major help.'

`We're hoping it's minor, but,' Kyousuke sighs, giving a tired shrug, `It all too often isn't.'

`It's been a lot more minor since you started working around here, not you personally, but since the Dark Kingdom started being active.'

`Yes, but getting called in at ten in the morning when one got back from work at eight that morning is,' Kyousuke gives the grey-haired man a smile, `bad for the perspective.'

`That is so,' The officer stops the car, and gets out. Once the others are out, he turns to Hikaru, `Agent?'

`Yes?'

`You take care of those two, OK?'

`Yes sir!' she tells him, and bows slightly.

He returns a deeper bow, `Call me when you need to be picked up, or if you need a body disposed of,' he says, then gets back in his car and drives off.

`What a nice old man,' Kyousuke says, then yawns.

`He's only about as old as your father,' Hikaru tells him.

`Oh? He feels a lot calmer, more settled. Oh well,' he looks around at the houses nearby, `She's not,' he says, and starts towards a house.

Madoka and Hikaru move to flank him.

`This it?' Madoka asks.

`Yes,' Hikaru answers.

`Good,' she pauses, `Well, good in that-'

`It's the person who called us, this time.'

`Yes,' Kyousuke says, a little distracted.

Hikaru winces, then straightens and steps forward, ringing the doorbell.

A young woman opens the door, and looks relieved to see their blue uniforms, stepping back, `Please, come up.'

`Thank you,' Kyousuke says softly, as Madoka and Hikaru shed their boots and step up into the narrow hallway. He sheds his shoes and steps up as well, staying a step behind his wives as they follow their host down the hall.

She leads them into an open room, TV on one side, bookcase on the other, low table in the middle of the floor.

`I'm Yu,' she says, then stops, looking awkward, like she wants to say something more but can't think of what.

`I'm Special Agent Ayukawa Madoka, this is my wife Agent Ayukawa Hikaru, and my husband Kyousuke, who's a healer. Pleased to meet you.'

`Likewise, although I wish the circumstances had been different.'

`That would have been good,' Kyousuke says.

Yu quirks a tiny smile.

`At this point I'll open a link to the Director for recording purposes and pull out the badge. Is that OK?'

`Yes.'

Madoka sets a black device on the table, about the size and shape of a minicassette recorder, and pushes one of the buttons. A blue light shines on its face. She pulls out her wallet, and sets it on the table, open.

Yu glances at the badge, then nods, `Yesterday, I noticed that Miku-'

* * *

`They should be at school still?' Kyousuke says, still looking down.

`Yes,' Yu answers.

`Let's go,' Hikaru says decisively, and stands.

Yu nods weakly, then stands as well.

Madoka helps Kyousuke to his feet.

Silence follows the group down the hall. The heavyset man in the sweatsuit turns at it, startling.

`Douga Nikusuke-sensei,' Madoka says.

He gasps, turns back around, and runs down the hall, throwing students out of his way.

Madoka, Hikaru, and Kyousuke follow quickly, Yu a little more slowly.

Nikusuke makes it out the door into the yard before Kyousuke manages a burst of speed, appearing in front of him.

`We want to talk to you, Douga-sensei,' Kyousuke says, softly but firmly.

Nikusuke reaches across his body, pulling a gun from the waistband of his pants, bringing it up.

`Stop!' Kyousuke tells him, and he does, staring at his hand, which won't move.

`What?'

`Calm down,' Kyousuke says softly, `Or this will be worse for you.'

`How?' Nikusuke asks, `I'm gonna die today.'

`Only if you don't think you can stop.'

`Get,' a shrill female voice yells, `Away,' and the voice's owner tackles Kyousuke in a swirl of long brown hair, `From Nikusuke!'

Kyousuke ducks with the blow, helping the girl along her path.

She lands, dazed, and looks up into the muzzle of Hikaru's pistol.

Nikusuke tries to take advantage of Kyousuke's distraction, and brings his pistol up.

Kyousuke rolls back to his feet, still crouched, and looks up at Nikusuke, seeing the tension in his face, in his hand.

*Crunch* Nikusuke's pistol drops from strenghless fingers as he curls up, cradling his shattered hand to his chest.

`Hikaru,' Kyousuke manages to gasp, face white with strain.

Hikaru takes three quick steps backwards, then blocks Nikusuke's pain with a few rapid, precise movements of her hand and a gutteral word.

Kyousuke sighs in relief, Nikusuke's gun slides over to him, and he steps on it.

Nikusuke shifts, settling into seiza, and claps his hands, looking down. His right hand flops bonelessly, already purple, and swelling.

Kyousuke winces.

Madoka hands the brown-haired girl back to Hikaru with a nod, stepping up to Nikusuke, `I'd prefer if you didn't do that hand any more damage, since it's already going to be a lot of work for Kyousuke to fix.'

`He won't need to,' Nikusuke says, `Since I'm ready.'

`Niku-han!' another girl's voice yells.

Yu starts a diving tackle at her, slamming into her with a dull *Thump*, propelled by a flick of Kyousuke's wrist and a moment's focused will.

`See?' Nikusuke says, `I won't be able to stop myself. She came over this morning, and,' a smile flickers over his face, `I'll die happy. I should have chosen a different way, but it's so sweet, I feel so strong when one of them is whimpering for me to stop, to continue, it doesn't matter,' he shakes his head, looks down, then looks up again, `I'm ready.'

The girl Yu hit whimpers, `Niku-han.'

`Miku,' Yu whispers, and hugs her tight.

`She said you were forced.'

`Forced? I wanted to, but I had control until Tomomi said she'd tell her father I forced her if I didn't do what she told me. All she did was enable my own wickedness. Please, end it.'

`Who else was involved?'

`Her bodyguards. Wakana saw Miku giving me a blow job yesterday morning while I was watching Tomomi masturbate in the office.'

`And what did Wakana do?'

`She looked at me like I was scum and walked off.'

`Why did you . . . '

`Kyouko was there. I had her that morning, that was lovely, she was so cute in those ears and the tail. I think I seduced her, or at least she was a lot more willing than the rest.'

`Will you stop?'

`No. Even with help, I don't think I can. All it took was a half-baked threat, and I caved. I would again, the look on a girl's face as I shove it into her for the first time, the tight, dry pain of a virgin's cunt, the blood on my cock. I should have tried harder, when I was young, and attractive, but.

`I could try to stop, but I don't think I could, and even if Kyouko and Miku liked it, Yu didn't. I wouldn't have, not like that, not without some trust,' Nikusuke shifts straighter in his seiza, places his hands on his knees, `So, please.'

`Have you made peace with your gods?'

`Yes,' Nikusuke's voice is husky.

`Look up.'

`No,' Miku whimpers.

Yu hugs her tight.

*BLAM* *splash*

Miku cries softly on Yu's shoulder as Nikusuke's corpse stares at the sky, a little round hole in the center of his forehead, and a tiny smile on his face.

`Alright, what was your goal?' Madoka turns to Tomomi.

Tomomi blinks, staring at Kyousuke, who's knelt by Yu and Miku, and is talking too softly for her to hear.

`Shirakawa Tomomi.'

Tomomi looks up at her.

`What was your goal in all of this?'

`I was sick of her. Sick of the way she'd smile at him, at me, at everyone, and not really mean it. I wanted her to hurt, to cry, to hate him, hate _me_.'

`Why?' Madoka asks gently, relaxing. Hikaru glances at her, then relaxes with a shake, aiming to Tomomi's side.

`Because she likes everyone. I can't stand it, the way she shines, glitters at everyone, equally. I want her focus, her hatred, all of it.'

`Her attention?'

`I want her to look at me. Only at me.'

`Why?'

`Because I'm always looking at her, and she doesn't notice.'

`I notice,' Miku says.

Tomomi's attention is suddenly riveted on Miku, standing with Yu's hand on her shoulder, smiling at Tomomi.

`I like it. I like the way you watch me, the soft glances and the hard, focused glares.'

`Why?' Tomomi demands, `Why do you ignore me?'

`I don't,' Miku shakes her head, `but you're so much fun to tease.'

`Don't you hate me?' Tomomi almost whispers.

`Why? I don't like that Yu was hurt, and I'm really upset that Niku-han's gone, but I don't hate you.'

`Why don't you hate me? You're supposed to hate me,' Tomomi whimpers, crying.

`Because you're too pretty, and nice, and sweet, and devoted,' Miku smiles, `Well, in a bitchy kind of way, anyway.'

A soft rhythmic thumping grabs Madoka's attention, and she glances up to see Kyousuke punching the wall, leaving a growing red spot. `Hikaru,' she says, and jerks her chin towards Kyousuke.

Hikaru nods, and holsters her gun as she walks over to her husband, wrapping her arms around him from behind and holding him tight.

`Because you came up with this whole plan for my benefit. You could have just taken me, you know,' Miku kneels next to Tomomi.

`Taken you?' Tomomi asks, voice shaky, eyes red and face puffy from crying, as Miku captures her hand and presses it to her chest.

`I wouldn't have protested nearly as much,' Miku leans forward, and presses her lips to Tomomi's, `And Yu wouldn't be hurting right now.'

`Why?' Tomomi breaks into tears again, her hand drifting up to touch her lips, `Why?'

Miku wraps her arms around the crying girl, `Because you're lovely, and wonderful, and I'm stupid.'

`That's right,' Yu says, kneeling next to Miku, `So I'm not going to let you do this alone,' and pulls both of them up into her lap, and wraps her arms about them both, or at least as close as she could manage.

*KRACK* The concrete pad shatters into hundreds of pieces.

`You've called off the backup?'

`They'll do a flyby, but that's it.'

`Got it.'

`Madoka,' Hikaru says, `Take Kyousuke back to the helicopter. I'll go have a word with her bodyguards.'

`Have the backup team go with you,' Madoka orders.

`Right,' Hikaru helps Madoka gather Kyousuke into her arms, and kisses her quickly, `They'll meet me-' she cuts herself off as the distinctive *thwop-thwop* of a Blackhawk sounds overhead.

She looks towards the noise, scanning back and forth a couple times before she spots the helicopter, the adaptive camouflage set to match the sky, only the dark lines of the door tracks, silver flash of the rotor mechanism, black tires, and the faint pattern of dark speckles that mark the windows showing. A door opens suddenly, and someone less observant gasps at the sudden appearance of a room in the sky.

The militia team jumps out, not bothering with ropes. All six land easily, marking themselves as youma or high-skill humans.

The Blackhawk's rotor-noise changes as it leaves, rising then fading.

`Agent?' a young man's voice asks, his face hidden behind his menpo, which, like the rest of his segmi, is covered in adaptive cloth that does a very good job of blending into the background.

`Just a few questions to ask. It shouldn't be difficult.'

`Gotcha,' an older woman says, and rechecks her subgun.

Hikaru smiles for a moment, `Let's go.'

`Why the _fuck_ did you go along with this?'

`Because I didn't really think she'd do it.'

`She threatened to get me fired. She's done that to other people who've worked here.'

`She made Maiko sleep with her for six weeks before she decided she was sick of the way Maiko would cry about it and went to her father with a story about how Maiko initiated it. Maiko had to flee to the Dark Kingdom.'

`What's Maiko's first name?'

`Arisugawa.'

A shadow behind Hikaru snorts, then giggles, then goes silent again. Hikaru looks down, then pulls a device out of her pocket. She pokes at it for a few minutes, then pulls another device out of her cargo pocket.

The second device spits out a piece of paper after a few moments, and she puts both devices away, holding the paper in either hand as she does. She inks her hanko, and presses a gold mark onto the paper. `Tell Shirakawa-san we've taken his daughter for corrective training. When she comes back, if she tries to make you do anything you feel is inappropriate, tell her, and if she tries to force it, tell us. Consider this a verbal warning.'

All three men look scared, `We understand. We will,' they bow deeply.

`Thank you.' Hikaru turns around, and sweeps out of the room, six formerly invisible forms blurring into visibility.

`You have an hour to gather anything you want to bring, but I wouldn't bring much, since you won't have access to any of your personal things for at least six weeks.'

`Right,' Tomomi looks scared.

Miku steps in front of her, `I'm going too.'

`OK. Anyone else?'

`They aren't going to leave me behind.'

The Blackhawk settles to the cracked concrete behind them, the blades barely fitting between the buildings, drowning conversation for a few moments until they spin down. After a moment, one realizes that it's now the same pale grey as the concrete it's sitting on.

Hikaru gathers several sheets from the printer in the Blackhawk's main compartment, and carries them into the school building.

She emerges, and blinks to see the three girls still standing beside the helicopter.

`Are you going to get anything?'

`If I won't be able to use it, why should I get it?' Tomomi says.

`I'm not letting them out of my sight,' Yu says, clutching onto Miku.

`I'll take charge of them, if you've turned over the paperwork,' and older man's voice says, as a grey shape shifts into view next to the girls.

`Please, Tyle,' Hikaru says gratefully, then watches as he herds the girls into the helicopter, which lifts, fading slowly from grey to blue as it rises.

Hikaru smiles sadly at the sight of her spice, both of them on the troop seat, Kyousuke huddled against Madoka's slighter form, his knuckles bandaged, face puffy, sleeping fitfully. Madoka's hand slowly strokes his back.

She trails her fingers through Kyousuke's hair, `I hate this. I like helping people, but I hate the way it hurts him.'

`Stupid little bitch,' Kyousuke says, sadly, `I hate it, the way they work so hard to hurt the ones they love.'

`She's going to PDDC, so she should come out better for it.'

`We should be able to send someone just because they need to go, whether their parents like it or not, with or without any demonstrated cause.'

`A lot of them don't _need_ to go, but would benefit from it.'

`I hate it. It pisses me off, to feel them lie to themselves, the tangled knots they carry around, twisted tight.'

`You can let me shield you, or wear metal again, to dull your senses.'

`That'd put you at risk,' Kyousuke's hand snakes out, and grabs Hikaru's, `And I won't do that anymore.'

* * *

log:

3170/Discord/late: Made the mistake of d/ling _princess 69_

3170/Discord/later: Made the mistake of watching it. Started this

3170/Confusion/4: Finished draft.

3170/Aftermath/17: Title Block

3183/Confusion/14: Tiny edits for uploading to ff.n


	3. Firing Point 37

Suika Roberts

Presents

Firing Point 37

A Side Story

Of

Dark Kingdom Rising

Private Kim Jin-Yung wiggles out from between the conveyor and the ammo-racks, managing not to get his LBE caught on either this time, and he doesn't bump his head, either. He puts his BCGs on, then his kevlar, grabs his weapon, and walks to the door.

The Carrier, Ammo, Tracked, for once, isn't dripping water on him, but that's because it isn't raining right now. He stops in the hatchway, sits on the ledge formed by the hull where it rises to go over the track, pulls his wet-weather boots over his soaked black jungle boots, hooks the loops at his ankles, and leaves the other two on each boot open. He looks around at the scraped white paint, liberally covered in red Korean mud, the ammo rack half full of rounds and the other half full of trash, because it's been a couple days since they'd cleaned it out.

The openings next to him to the front, the upper one where the heater was supposed to be, but isn't, because it is summer, sort of, and the heater was broke again, so it isn't a priority for a couple more months, and the lower, which is labeled for a kind of powder can he's never seen, are filled with personal effects, trash from MREs, and NBC gear they're not likely to use again this field problem.

The ammo rack behind him is almost empty - they'd fired off all the powder from it, and someone else took the cans - except for PFC Jones, and his sleeping bag. Jones is just barely small enough for the space. The racks above are empty, with a few things in the net at the top.

Kim turns around, grabs the handle over the hatch, and swings out, quickly and with the duck and arch that keeps him from banging his head on the top of the hatch, or his back on the bottom, and sinks into the mud almost to the top of his boots. He makes a face, turns with a little difficulty, and grabs his rifle.

He slings it over his back, and slogs through the mud to the back of the firing point, and up onto the path through the weeds. He turns to look back at a high point, over the six M109 self-propelled howitzers, the five, one was down with a bad transmission, and had been left on Camp Hovey, M992 Field Artillery Ammunition Support Vehicles, or CATs, the tool-truck, three HMMVs, the fourth off with one of the platoon sergeants on some mission, and the M88 recovery vehicle, all clustered in a mud field between a field of wheat and one that's fallow, bordered on the front by a dirt road, a line of weeds, and a concrete-lined irrigation ditch. The back side is a little rise, covered in weeds and a few paths leading to the cliff-edge.

He turns, again, and walks the rest of the way through the weeds. He stops next to one of the few trees clinging to the edge, grabs the lower pull of his coveralls' front zipper, and pulls it up, reaching into his fly to pull out his penis. He grabs the tree for a little added support, leans forward, pulls his foreskin back, and watches the stream of urine vanish towards the vegetation at the bottom of the cliff. He's still too shy to masturbate over the edge in daylight, but rather likes the feeling at night.

`Jin-Yung?' a female voice asks.

He shakes off, arranges himself, zips down, `Hai?' he asks the air quietly.

`Are you alone?' she asks in Japanese.

`Yes, what's up?'

`Something big has come up.'

`Bigger than the Kiseinen flowers?'

`Bigger than that,' she says, `We've an organized enemy, and a pair of Sailors who are being rockheads. We need Ami-chan back.'

`It was fun, sorta, well,' Jin-Yung sighs, `mostly masochistic fun, but I'll miss a couple of the guys.'

`Do you want to sneak off, or do you want us to show up in full Sailor splendor?'

`Full splendor would really jerk the BC's chain.'

`We'll be there in a few minutes, then, once Mako-chan gets back here.'

`OK, I'll be waiting for you to show up.'

Nothing follows, so Kim turns and walks back towards the CAT, slogging slowly through the mud. He thinks, for a moment, about how much of his stuff he actually needs, then decides he might as well take it all, and climbs up the baskets on the back of the FAASV to the roof, being careful of his slippery boots, and pulls his ruck loose, dropping it off the front onto the grill, then goes back for his duffle, and drops it after, then climbs down, first onto the grill, then down the sloped aluminum-plate front and jumps to the mud. He pushes his glasses up his nose, slogs around, climbs back in the side hatch, catching his rifle for a moment, so he has to pause and untangle the M16A2 before he can get in, and starts gathering the last of his gear, his poncho, his shave kit, and his NBC bag, then climbs back out, taking his rifle off so he doesn't catch it. Everything is thrown up on the grill in a couple trips, and he climbs up after it. He stuffs everything loose into his duffle.

A few moments later three Sailors arrive in a swirl of light and mud.

`Ick!' Sailor Moon says, shaking one booted foot, already muddy to the ankle.

`Sir!' Kim yells, tossing his ruck at Sailor Jupiter. She catches it easily, and puts it on. Sailor Mars staggers a little at the impact of his duffle, but swings it on, too.

The First Sergeant and Battery Commander are watching in surprise as Kim addresses them, `I'm sorry, but I've got to go now. I won't say it's been fun, but it was educational, I guess.'

He unslings his rifle, and holds it in his right hand, `First Sergeant, catch!' and throws it.

First Sergeant catches it, and doesn't notice as Kim lifts something pastel blue towards the sky.

`Mercury Planet Power,' everyone is out, and watching by this point, `Make UP!' Blue light surrounds him, not blinding, but blurring any details as it fades, revealing a slighter, shorter form, in a short skirt and low-heeled blue boots.

`Good bye!' she calls, and drops off the front of the cat into the mud, joining hands with the other Sailors.

`Sailor,' they call in unison, the mud swirling, lifting into the air, `TELEPORT!' and dropping back with little splats after they vanish in a swirl of light.

`Well,' PV2 Griego says, `That explains why Kim was so into lesbian porn.'

Fin

\- Log:

2003/October/sometime: Spent a little bit of time at Firing Point 37, and was impressed by the setting. The thought of what Ami-chan might do in the Artillery came up, and sorta plotted.

2004/September/27: Wrote this. It's less involved than my plottings, but I don't remember most of those, so.

2004/November/5: Title Block

2017/June/26: edited for posting to ff.n


	4. Baka

Sometimes, I can be really dense. I wouldn't mind, but it bites really hard, when it bites.

I didn't realize Saoran was interested until Tomoyo pointed it out. I didn't realize I didn't really care until Tomoyo finally got a girlfriend.

It was nice, having a boyfriend to talk about with her, someone who could fight alongside me, someone who was blatant, comfortable, with wanting me.

Tomoyo was pretty blatant, too, but Saoran didn't point that out to me. She was just always there, always available, always paying attention to me. I just sort of accepted it.

Then.

^_^ Baka ^_^

`Who's she?' the new girl asks, Mafuyu, who transferred in this morning.

`That's Tomoyo,' I wave Tomoyo over, so as to make introductions.

`Is she your girlfriend?'

`Hoe?' I turn to look at her.

`Are you Sakura's girlfriend?' Mafuyu asks Tomoyo as she walks up.

`No,' Tomoyo shakes her head, blushing a little.

^_^ Baka ^_^

`Sorry, I promised Mafuyu I'd go shopping with her.'

^_^ Baka ^_^

`Sorry, not today, maybe tomorrow?'

^_^ Baka ^_^

`What is it?' Tomoyo says, running up without her camera.

`That!' I wave at the creature dancing in the street.

`Oh?' Tomoyo stares at the two and a half meter tall spiky green humanoid for a moment, `Where's the music coming from?'

`The boombox on the corner,' I point at the silver-tone device, which is sitting next to a large, lumpy, army-green backpack, `I think it's harmless, but I wanted some backup before I approached it.'

`Where's Saoran?' Tomoyo asks, looking around.

I barely keep from whimpering at the words. `You could call him, I guess.'

`Right,' Tomoyo reaches for her phone, and I step out into the street.

`Hello?' I ask the person dancing in the street. ^_^ Baka ^_^

`Will you join us?' I ask Tomoyo, almost begging, but not quite.

`I need to get back, Mafuyu's waiting for me,' she begs off, `And Saoran will be here soon, and knows more about traveling between worlds.'

`Tomoyo,' I don't whine, but I don't want her to go, and I'm sure it shows in my voice.

`I'll see you in school tomorrow?' she asks.

`Yes, of course.'

^_^ Baka ^_^

`So you're in love with your best friend?' Sharon asks, no longer so green, or spiky, and shorter.

`I think so,' I tell him, `I just, she was always there, and I never knew how much I relied on that, on her loving me.'

`Until suddenly she wasn't just yours anymore,' he nods, `It's easiest,' he laughs, `or so I've read, to add a partner when everyone knows them, and you talk about it a lot. I've always just had things blow up so bad that one or both of us run, and then sometimes we patch it up again. My little girl's other parent and I are at least civil again,' he pauses, `Did I show you a picture? She's in elementary school still, but she's getting really strong, and a crack shot already,' he fishes out his wallet, and flips to a picture of a little violet-haired girl smiling, right hand up in a V-sign, the other wrapped loosely around the barrel of a long white and stainless steel rifle.

`She's really cute,' I tell him.

`Yep,' he nods, `I can't believe, sometimes, she's mine, but,' he laughs, `five hours can leave a lasting impression.' He puts his wallet away, `Did you ever tell her?'

`Yes. I don't think she realized what I was telling her, and I didn't realize what she was telling me. I didn't even realize what I was telling her.'

`Recently?'

`No.'

`And you've a boyfriend?'

I nod, reluctantly.

`Are you going to keep him?'

`It doesn't even compare . . . '

`I didn't ask that,' he shakes his head, `Are you going to keep him?'

`I don't know.'

`Are you going to keep Tomoyo's girlfriend?'

I blush, and stammer, `I don't know.'

`Think about it, and by all means, talk to her, and your boyfriend, and her girlfriend. It can always get worse.'

`That it can,' I nod.

`Come, the moon will be out soon, let's go wait for your boyfriend, so we'll have a third for the dance, and I can maybe get home.'

^_^ Baka ^_^

The gate swirls open, and Saoran smiles at me. I smile back, noticing, again, how his smile doesn't warm me as Tomoyo's does.

`Thanks!' Sharon says, `I really appreciate it,' he gathers us both up in an enthusiastic hug, and kisses me on the forehead, then Saoran, `Be safe!' and grabs up the boombox before quickly walking through the portal, which closes a few minutes after he passes through.

^_^ Baka ^_^

`Mafuyu, wait up,' I tell the girl, suddenly nervous.

`What is it, Sakura?' she asks.

I smile, just a tiny twitch at the corners of my lips, at the almost familial intimacy of our address, `I have a message I'd like you to give to Tomoyo.'

A tiny flicker of annoyance at that lack of honorific, `OK.'

`Not here, just a moment,' I grab her hand and lead her into a stairwell, out of sight temporarily, plant my back to the wall, and draw her, protesting softly, against me.

`Sakura, what-' she starts.

I silence her protest with my lips on hers.

She doesn't fight, shocked, limp, then responds as my lips open under hers, her tongue flickering against mine, then she jerks her head back.

`Wha-'

I place a finger against her lips, `Please,' I look up at her, `Give that message to Tomoyo.'

She's still standing there as I step out into the hallway.

^_^ Baka ^_^

`Sakura,' Mafuyu's pissed, but trying not to show it.

`What?' I try to keep the smile off my face.

`Come,' and she stalks off.

`What is it, Mafuyu-chan?' I ask when we stop.

`Tomoyo's reply,' Mafuyu growls, eyes flashing, and presses me hard against the wall with a firm, gentle grope and a hard, passionate kiss that leaves me gasping against the back wall of the coatroom.

`Wow,' I smile, giddy, and do my level best to kiss the scowl off Mafuyu's face. It doesn't work very well.

`What was that?' she grouses.

`Tip for the delivery girl?'

^_^ Baka ^_^

`Well,' I tell Kero, who stops pretending he's a stuffed animal and flies over, `That was very interesting.'

`Oh?'

`I had Mafuyu pass Tomoyo a second-hand kiss,' I smile, `And she actually passed it for me, which was nice of her,' I laugh a little at the silliness of that, `And it was very nice, because it was for Tomoyo,' I look at Kero, and he nods, not looking, surprisingly, very surprised, `And Tomoyo had her pass me one, and that was very nice indeed, and then I kissed her, just for her, and it wasn't bad at all,' I shrug, `I think, in fact, it was nicer than kissing Saoran.'

`So, what are you going to do about it?'

`I don't know.'

Several kilometers away, a young woman of about seventeen looks around, then shoves her short brown hair back before setting her hand back on her helmet, `He's gone, El Tee,' she says.

`This is an informal search, Fuuko,' 1LT Kinomoto says, `So Sakura's fine.' Like Fuuko, Kinomoto Sakura is in full combat-kit, Adaptive Cloth over Segmi, helmet clipped to her LBV.

`Sure it is, LT, and Chief won't glare at me for it. Right,' SGT Kuzuha shakes her head, `Anyway, he's been gone for at least a day, maybe two or three.'

`I won't glare,' 2WO Daidouji says, `I'll just clutch possessively.'

`Sure, Chief, sure. Anyway, the area's clear, so we can bring the others through,' SGT Kuzuha smiles, `It's kinda pretty here.'

`Windy! Flower! Dark! Light!' the lieutenant calls, a bird-headed baton in hand, and four female forms swirl into view around her, `Go, see if you can find his entrance and exit points, and any hassles we'll have to deal with, please,' she tells them.

`As you wish,' the Light says, then slips from the area with the Dark.

`Of course, Sakura-chan,' Windy says, caressing Kinomoto's cheek before kissing Daidouji on her way out, Flower at her side, in a different direction than Dark and Light.

`We'll be here a day or two, if you want to take your wife around,' 2WO Daidouji tells the smirking sergeant.

`Nice. I hope we don't have to go chasing you through three hells again, Chief.'

`That was one world out of seventeen, so far!' she laughs, `And you said it was fun at the time.'

`Yeah, but we'd be home by now, if we hadn't blown a week on that,' Fuuko pauses, noticing the look on the warrant officer's face, `I'm just griping, soldiers privilege.'

`OK. Comms are up, sir,' she tells her wife.

`Good,' Kinomoto smiles back, and gets a quick kiss.

^_^ Baka ^_^

The group settles into a convenient bus shelter, and look out at the rain.

Windy and a slightly draggled Flower return, grab Amawa Hibiki for a quick swirl of dancing laughter, much to her daughter's delight, then report, `Saoran and Sakura danced him out, and Tomoyo's involved with Mafuyu, of all people. Didn't see Sae, she might not have shown up yet, or she may not be coming,' Flower says, then gives the three-year-old on Hibiki's back a quick kiss on the forehead before swirling out of sight.

`Hmm,' Sakura says, taking out her slate and calling up a map of Tokyo, `Where were the entrance and exit?'

`Same place, right,' Windy draws a transparent finger over the screen, `here. The gates were about three meters apart.'

`Sakura!' Tomoyo's voice comes over the phone.

`Tomoyo, what is it?'

`Come to my house, I think you need to see this.'

^_^ Baka ^_^

I drop lightly to the ground, shake the water from my wings, then let them fold and dissipate.

`You're so cute when you're young,' someone who almost sounds like Tomoyo says, and I turn to look.

A bunch of people in bulky, wet, grey clothing are dripping on the porch, along with several floating heads . . . no, their clothing is just really hard to see, even though it is just as wet as the others. A little girl, clad in bright ribbons over the same mottled grey as the rest is playing with _Dark_?

One of the floating heads is Tomoyo's, but older. Near her, partly turned to face her, barely visible arm wrapped around barely visible shoulder, is an older me.

^_^ Baka ^_^

`Wake up,' Tomoyo's telling me, a soft hand on my shoulder.

`She's coming to,' a voice I don't know says, `No, let the frog go, Mikura. Not in Sakura's shirt, either.'

I turn to look at that. My eyes trace up the distortion covering a young woman with short reddish hair, nearly a hundred and seventy centimeters tall. She is smiling, despite the firm tone, and the little girl is looking disappointed, a large bullfrog caught between her hands.

`But Papa! Sakura-neechan likes frogs!'

`Go show the LT, then, not this one, OK?'

`OK, Papa!' the little girl runs up, turning a little bit to hold the frog up.

`What a nice frog,' the other me says, reaching out to accept the fairly calm creature.

`Yes! Tomoyo-neechan always has the best frogs!'

I look up at Tomoyo, and she smiles down at me.

She helps me sit up, and I turn towards the girl's "Papa", since she seems to be in charge, `What's going on?'

`We lost a soldier at the platoon picnic, so we're out looking for him, the rat-bastard.'

I blink, `What?'

`SGT Sharon got lost at the platoon picnic, again, and despite standing orders to stay put and wait for us to come get him, he's wandering.'

`Oh. So I shouldn't have helped him leave?'

`It's just a little inconvenient. I'm Sergeant Kuzuha Fuuko,' she waves at the little girl and the other me and Tomoyo, `You know Lieutenant Kinomoto and Chief Daidouji, the monster is my daughter, Mikura, and,' she turns, calls louder, `Hibiki!' One of the people in grey turns, smiles, waves, `That's my wife, Amawa Hibiki.'

I wave back, as does Tomoyo.

`Our Platoon Sergeant, Sergeant Fukuzawa,' another of the floating heads waves, her pale brown hair cut short, `her wife, Sachiko,' a long-haired elegant woman in grey, `Their daughter, Usagi,' a girl of about ten, her hair buzzed down to a couple millimeters long, waves, then turns back to the other grey-clad girl, `SGT Sharon's daughter, Minako,' the blue-haired girl waves, `and his SO, Masato,' an older man, looking like he's in his late twenties.

`Corporals Tael and Lee,' a female and male head wave, `PFC Olds,' a young man waves, `PFC Maeuchi,' a young woman waves from her place wrapped in the arms of an older grey-clad woman, `and PV2 Matamoro,' a very young looking hispanic man, `Chiemi's with Maeuchi,' the older woman raises her hand.

`Misato,' a tall, blonde woman introduces herself, `I'm Steven's,' she pauses, looks at the green-haired woman, `Intended.' CPL Tael smiles back at her.

`Cho Eun Hee,' a short purple-haired woman says, and wraps an arm about CPL Lee.

`Lee Tae Ho,' a young Korean man, `Michael's boyfriend.' PFC Olds blushes.

`I'm Rommel's older brother, Ruben,' says the burly dark-skinned man.

`And then we have the tag-alongs, Sailor Discordia,' the Indian woman smiles, teeth blindingly white against her dark, fine-boned face, snow blowing across a pine-wooded mountainside through her short-skirted uniform, like it's a window into another place, the same pattern on the high-heeled boots and elbow-length gloves. She wiggles her fingers at me with a smirk.

`And her guests from America, Faith,' a dark-haired woman in her twenties, who waves, `Ranma,' a red-haired Japanese woman in the same hard to see material as the soldiers, `and Buffy,' a blond woman, shorter than Faith but taller than Ranma.

`I've asked my mother, so you can borrow the big room for crash space, and shell out in the end room,' and I realize she'd slipped away during the introductions.

`Thanks,' the other Sakura says, grabbing her Tomoyo's hand and leading them into the house.

^_^ Baka ^_^

They chatter and laugh as they strip in Tomoyo's sewing room, digging out normal clothes and changing out of what I now realize is armor without any discomfort at their mixed company.

The girl in the skirt, Sailor, or whatever, just shifted, a little blur, and then she was in a long-sleeved shirt and jeans. She's, um, helping, the three from America change. I blush, and turn away as they giggle.

The little girl with the buzz-cut has changed into a black t-shirt and baggy black jeans, with scuffed black boots and the glitter of several small stones in each ear, and is tucking something black into her pocket.

SGT Fukuzawa shrugs into a mass of straps and mesh, which resolves into a kind of vest, the pockets of which she proceeds to fill with things she pulls out of her armor, two identical silver pistols with pearl grips she holsters behind her head, a little black pistol she tucks into a pocket on her belly, and enough ammunition for a small war, before she casually throws a light green silk shirt on over it.

Her wife doesn't seem to be wearing the same kind of vest, but tucks a little holstered silver gun into the waistband of her skirt, and flops her shirt over it.

Everyone of them is armed, I realize, except the little girl, Mikura. I look at the older me, who smiles back, drops the slide on a pistol, and holsters it behind her head.

`What is going on here?' I ask, `Are you expecting something bad to happen?'

`No,' Ranma answers for the group, slinging something covered in distortion over her shoulder, `Or we wouldn't be shelling out. This is just caution.'

`Says the girl with the autoloading ten gauge over her shoulder,' Buffy says, wrapping the smaller woman in her arms.

`Says the twenty-three year old vampire slayer, old woman.'

`You're so cute,' and Buffy kisses her.

`Mama! She's eating her face!' Mikura says, laughing.

Everyone else laughs, too. I look at Tomoyo, who seems about as nonplussed as I.

^_^ Baka ^_^

`Mafuyu-chan!' the other Tomoyo grabs the girl up, and gives her a squeeze before tossing her lightly into the air.

`Tomoyo?!'

`We've guests,' Tomoyo says, and Mafuyu spends several hilarious seconds looking back and forth between the two Tomoyos.

From behind me Sergeant Kuzuha asks, `Who's got weapon's guard this time?'

`I'll take it,' Masato says, `If I can let Minako run with your Usagi, Smoke.'

SFC Fukuzawa answers, `Should be fine,' over the two girls synchronous plea.

`Smoke?' I ask.

`Jargon for Platoon Sergeant. Used to just be Artillery, but it's spread throughout the Tegun, at least.'

`Tegun?'

`Teleport troops,' SFC Fukuzawa says.

`Oh.'

`Sakura,' Ranma says, a smile on her face, `This is Triguna,' she indicates the tall Indian girl next to her, `And we'd like to take you out with us,' she points towards Faith and Buffy with her chin.

`Me?'

`And Tomoyo and Mafuyu and Saoran.'

`Oh.'

^_^ Baka ^_^

`I,' *BLAM* `Fucking,' *BLAM* `Hate,' *BLAM* `Gaki,' Ranma says, punctuating the short English sentence with the pistol-gripped shotgun she's firing one-handed.

The gaki starts to get up again, four holes big enough to throw a softball through blown out of its chest.

It blinks, staring down the cavernous barrel of the ten-gauge, a blue dot glowing between and below its eyes, and Ranma makes one last attempt, `So, are you going to calm down, or am I gonna have to kill you?'

The gaki responds with a snarl and attempted grab with its clawed fingers.

*BLAM*

Ranma starts wiping at the splattered blood on her face, and Buffy comes up, pulling a premoistened towelette out of a pack marked `Soldier Wipes,' and proceeding to mop the slightly protesting girl clean.

`I thought gaki were ghosts,' Mafuyu says shakily, from her position clutched in Tomoyo's arms, blood weeping slowly from her neck under my hand.

`There's two kinds, the ghost kind, which is generally harmless, and kinda sad, and the critter kind, which is just messy and stupid,' Ranma says.

`She stop bleeding yet?' Faith asks, helping Saoran to his feet. He looks like he's fine.

`Not yet, but it's really slow.'

`Good, let's get a bandage on that, then,' and incredibly strong fingers gently pull my hand away, then wipe iodine on before applying a large bandaid to the shallow wound.

Ranma's spun the six-tube cylinder beneath the barrel, and is feeding shells into one of them, then spins it back. She shifts her grip to the middle of the gun, and threads it back into the bag on her back, folding the cover over it so that once again it almost disappears.

`What's wrong with the "Critter kind,"' Mafuyu asks, touching her bandaid, `Other than that they bite?'

`Nermal vamps go "Poof" when you kill them, burn up from the inside,' Faith answers, `Egyptian vamps are harder to kill, and generally cause less trouble, but they go "Poof" too. Gaki are demons, so.'

`You have to do something with the corpse,' Ranma finishes, `And they're even less flammable than people.'

`Ew,' Saoran says. Maybe he's not fine.

`Sakura,' Faith leans close, `I think he's got a mild concussion, so watch out for him, OK?'

`Gotcha,' I tell her.

A sparkle of light, and Triguna is replaced by Sailor Discordia, dressed in blue sky and sunlight over blowing sand. A short gesture and a whispered word, and the Gaki's body explodes, a great muffled *POP* leaving behind nothing but a circular splash of soot on the puddled blood.

Discordia smiles, a brief childlike clap, and a giggle, and then she drops back to being Triguna.

`Trig says I can drive, for a bit,' she says, an entirely different smile on her face, a different cant to her eyes, `I'm Claudia, by the by.'

`Oh?' Tomoyo asks, from her place nuzzled against the uninjured side of Mafuyu's neck.

`Yeah, it's a longish story, but the short is Tri's mother-in-law tried to kill her, she used much magic to stop her, nearly killing herself, and I swooped in to snatch her body before it died, but she hadn't left yet, so we decided to share.'

Her face settles back into its earlier cast, `Or more like, she offered me my life in exchange for my body. She's the Sailor, or should have been.'

Claudia smiles at us, `As I said.'

^_^ Baka ^_^

`Nermals!' Buffy calls, pulling out a wooden stake.

`I see 'em,' Ranma says, reaching back over her shoulder, `but there's no backstop.'

`Fuck,' Faith says, a wooden stake in her hands as well.

`Left,' Ranma calls, dodging that way.

`Right,' Faith calls.

`I always get center!' whines Buffy, a laugh trying to break out.

Five of them are dead before I can decide what to do, and the other three are running.

`We should follow,' Mafuyu says, catching Tomoyo's hand in one of hers, and mine in the other. I grab Saoran, and half-drag him with us after our . . . escort.

We catch up to them because they've stopped outside a heavy-looking steel door.

Ranma's got the shotgun out, and calls out `catch!' as we come pounding up. She does something, and Buffy catches a flying shell, then *BLAM**CRACK* the latch and knob practically vanish. Buffy tucks the shell into Ranma's pocket, and they rush inside.

We follow, and find Faith leaning over a girl, and Buffy checking on a guy as Ranma and Discordia clear the rest of the building. `Triguna!' Buffy yells.

`Fuck!' Ranma's voice echoes down the hall, then a *BLAM**BLAM**BLAM*

Discordia and Ranma come running back down the hall.

`What is it?' Discordia asks.

`He's bled really bad,' Buffy says.

`She'll survive, perhaps,' Faith says, wrapping the tails of a bandage around the girl's chest, `Needs blood, of course.'

`Hmm,' Discordia closes her eyes, and the blood splattered around the room gathers itself up, and flows back into its former owners, drops coalescing out of the air to join it.

`His pulse is steady,' Buffy says.

`So's hers.'

`Good,' Discordia drops to her knees, and Triguna murmurs `Carry me,' before slumping towards the floor. Ranma catches her about the waist before she goes far.

`Call the cops, tell them there's been a disturbance,' Buffy says, `And we're splitting.'

Tomoyo pulls her phone out and dials.

^_^ Baka ^_^

`Bah,' Ranma says, `Where are we going to go eat?'

`What do you want?'

`The same thing she always wants, most likely Mexican, which she says we can't find in Tokyo, or Italian.'

`Right,' Ranma agrees, `Trying to find a good Mexican restaurant in Tokyo's like trying to find lobster in Mogadishu, even now.'

`So, you want Italian,' Mafuyu says, and turns to Tomoyo, `Where to?'

Tomoyo looks at the tall Indian girl mostly sleeping on Ranma's much shorter shoulder, then turns to me, `Any clue?'

`Onii-chan or Yukito should know somewhere,' I say, `They're always eating out.'

^_^ Baka ^_^

Luckily nothing attacks at the restaurant, and the Tiramisu that Ranma insists we have is very good. Too sweet, though.

Saoran is tracking again, so that's good.

^_^ Baka ^_^

*BLAM**CRACKLE* the vampire turns to ash.

`So,' Mafuyu asks, `Is this going to continue happening after you leave?'

`Probably not,' Faith says, `We've got seven weirdness magnets here, out of a party of eight. Only four of them are staying, so it should go back to normal.'

`Oh,' I say, `So which of you isn't a "weirdness magnet"?'

`Me.'

`Oh.'

^_^ Baka ^_^

`Here,' I help Tomoyo and Mafuyu up the stairs, Saoran asleep in Faith's arms behind us.

`In,' Tomoyo says, as I tuck her into the bed next to Mafuyu. I blink, then crawl sleepily in after her, still mostly dressed like they are. Faith tucks Saoran in behind me, and he nuzzles into my neck, still asleep.

I throw an arm over Tomoyo's middle, my hand falling easily on Mafuyu's hip.

`G'night,' Mafuyu mumbles, and that's the last thing I remember.

^_^ Baka ^_^

`Morning, dear,' Mafuyu says sleepily, and kisses me.

`Gyah!' Saoran shrieks, and falls out of bed.

`Sakura, would you not kiss my girlfriend in my bed over my head?'

`Sorry,' I say, and kiss her instead. She kisses back eagerly.

`So,' Saoran says, `You finally figured it out,' he leans in, kisses me on the forehead, `Thank you,' gathers his clothes, and starts out the door.

I stare after him for a moment while a blushing Mafuyu kisses Tomoyo behind me, then run after.

`Saoran,' I catch him at the door, `What's up?'

`I knew you'd figure it out eventually, so I was waiting, and it was nice,' he says, his eyes glittering, `But I knew you'd never be as happy with me as you would be with her, so,' he shrugs, and something wet trails down his cheek.

`You don't have to leave,' I tell him, `Or at least probably not,' I gather him into my arms, `I haven't asked, yet.'

`I would have told you, earlier, if I could, it's not that I don't like Tomoyo, but I don't love her, and I know I'd be jealous, and it would hurt, and no, I'm not going to fight, or put myself in a place to be hurt like that,' he wiggles free, `I'll see you Monday,' and he flees. I sit down on the genkan step, and watch him leave.

After a while, Tomoyo and Mafuyu join me, each wrapping an arm around me.

^_^ Baka ^_^

`Today, we're going for a nice long, fast run. Forty klicks, one hour,' SFC Fukuzawa smiles a mildly sadistic smile at her formation from under her raised Menpo.

Someone groans for effect.

`Extend to the left, March!'

`They are so,' Mafuyu watches the group run off, then goes silent.

`Hard Core, is the jargon,' Masato says, from his place on the porch next to them, standing watch over the group's packs and heavy weapons.

`Something like that,' Mafuyu says, smiling.

^_^ Baka ^_^

Half of them are staggering, but Ranma is running on her hands as they come back into the yard, barely visible in her adaptive cloth.

Ranma flips to her feet and walks backwards in front of the formation, `Come on you slackers, fifty more meters, then you can walk it off,' she taunts.

^_^ Baka ^_^

After much moaning, groaning, and several showers, everyone gathers up their weapons, packs, and sleeping children. 1LT Kinomoto smiles at me, `Anything else to deal with?'

`Not once you leave,' I smile, `How many weirdness magnets do you have in your platoon?'

`Nine in the platoon, plus most of the SOs, and I think Smoke's Usagi is one too, but I'm not sure about Minako yet, and I think Mikura is, but both her parents are, so it's hard to tell.'

`Gyeh.'

`It makes things interesting,' Smoke Fukuzawa says, `But difficult, sometimes.'

^_^ Baka ^_^

`Hopefully we won't see you again,' Buffy says, `Although it was a lot less stressful than the world where Tomoyo decided Sakura didn't love her, killed herself, and we had to help Sakura track her down in hell,' she gives a theatrical shudder.

`What?!' Mafuyu says.

`You didn't hear that,' Buffy says weakly.

`Of course not,' Tomoyo agrees.

The gate opens again, and the rest of the group filters out.

^_^ Baka ^_^

`So,' Mafuyu catches my hands in hers, `You're not going to try and give me the shove off?'

`No,' I lean in and kiss her.

Tomoyo squeals and wraps us both in her arms.

Sometimes I'm not the brightest person, but sometimes I have my moments. Even if I have to have it pointed out quite plainly.

~*~ Fin ~*~

\- log:

3171/Bureaucracy/51: Started  
3171/Bureaucracy/59: Continued 3171/Aftermath/2:Continued. Over three weeks since I wrote anything. Bah.  
3171/Aftermath/12: Continued.  
3172/Discord/13: Tiny typo fixed.  
3172/Bureaucracy/73: Another tiny typo.  
3175/Chaos/11: Tiny typo fixed  
3183/Confusion/37: Typos killed for posting to ff.n


	5. Acheron

Tsukino Usagi looks up at the younger, taller girl, `There's something seriously fucked going on here,' she shoves off the wall with a twitch of her shoulders, `So I'm gonna help, whether you like it or not.'

`Then I'd better like it, huh?' Tenjou Utena looks down at the woman camouflaged in an Ohtori uniform.

`Yep. You coming, Himemiya?'

`Yes, Tsukino-san,' the dark-skinned girl nods, a tiny smile gracing her lips.

Acheron Set About 2775 CE, and a few thousand lightyears spinward. by Suika Roberts

Usagi follows the two girls across campus, `They said they'd be cleaning up the old science building,' she scowls, `You were with me when they did,' she looks up at Utena.

`Yep. At least they got one of the rooms in the East Hall fixed up before they moved us in there.'

`What?!'

Utena shrugs, `I don't have any more of an idea what's going on than you do, but Himemiya needed someone to look out for her, so.'

`The pamphlet from the facilities committee said the East Hall was coming down two months ago.'

`They've said that every fall for a while,' Anthy says.

`Oh lovely. And no one's complained?'

`It gets a page in the school paper every spring.'

`Lovely.'

`Almost as nice as the way they put us in a half-ruined building with rampant ghost stories running around the school about it,' Utena gestures around the still fairly ragged lobby before leading the way up the stairs, `One of the residence rooms is fixed, one latrine, and the dining hall and kitchen downstairs. No cooks, though, so I take care of that.'

`Do you run logpac, too?'

`Nah, there's civilians for that.'

`Hmm.'

`Sit,' Utena waves at the low table, and Anthy bustles about with a teapot.

`Utena,' Usagi says, reaching behind her head and drawing a gun, `strip.'

Utena plops down at the table-side, holds out a hand, `Wrench and rag.'

Usagi hands over the .45. Utena clears it, then sets the loose round next to the magazine. She takes the proffered rag and bushing wrench, and sets to work field-stripping the gun.

Anthy sets the tea set on the free side of the table, then settles across from Usagi, watching as Utena works with the ancient weapon.

`Militec,' Utena says after a while, and takes the proffered bottle of metal conditioner.

A few moments later Usagi accepts the weapon back, repeats the function check Utena just did, `Good job,' then reloads, loose round in the chamber, fourteen round mag locked, safety checked and weapon holstered again.

Usagi downs her cup of tea, smiles when Anthy refills it, and pulls the rag over in front of her before field stripping her backup gun onto it.

`Himemiya,' she says, a few pieces of plastic, alloy, and blued steel spread on the formerly-white cloth in front of her, black fingers rubbing oil into them as they go back together, `How old are you?'

`What do you mean, Tsukino-san?'

`How old do you think I am?'

`You have a starship of your own, and you have been here at least five years, so about twenty?' Anthy sips her tea, `Darkies can take a long time to grow up.'

`Yes, they can,' Usagi smiles, `It'll still be another few months until my seventy fifth birthday.'

`Wow. You're,' Utena pauses, at Usagi's familiar quelling look, realizing that she's interrupting an interrogation, `Well preserved.'

`Quite,' Usagi's lips twitch, and she looks back at Anthy, `How old are you?'

`I don't know,' Anthy bows her head, setting her cup down. She doesn't flinch at the *snickThunk* of Usagi chambering the top round before she puts the little gun back up under her top, `I've been doing this for a long time, it blurs after the first dozen times through eighth grade.'

`I'd think so. At least in the Army it was always a different mess. What year were you born?'

`I don't know. I don't remember.'

`What happens to the winners of the tournament?'

`No one's won.'

`Why not?'

`I . . . ' she shakes her head, `I don't remember.'

`All right, your questions, madam,' Usagi gestures at Anthy, wiping her hands clean on a rag.

Utena accepts it as normal, but Anthy, `How does that work?'

Usagi stops stuffing the rag back into her pocket, and hands it across the table with clean hands, `Magic.' She picks up the cup Anthy had poured for her, and takes a sip, `Thank you.'

Anthy smells the rag, then shakes out the slightly frayed brown fabric, smooth and shiny and spotless. `Spot,' she holds out her hand for Usagi's left.

Usagi reaches over, and Anthy wipes gently at the greyish stain. It pales, but is still visible, `Rub a little harder.'

Once the spot is gone Anthy looks at the rag again, then makes to hand it back, `Here,'

`Keep it. You seem like you could use a little magic,' Usagi smiles at her.

Anthy nods, and tucks it into her own pocket, `How did you meet Utena?'

Usagi glances at Utena, smiles at the familiar address, `She was standing on the bank of the river waving a stick around. She wasn't very good at it, but . . . ' she trails off, smiles at the memory.

`So I taught her a little, then wandered off for a couple years.'

`My parents liked her, and had her down as next-of-kin, so they called her up when the accident happened.'

Anthy looks at the woman in front of her, bemused.

`I'm pretty small for a ten-year-old, but that's when I locked myself, so,' Usagi shrugs, `I'm gonna be like this for a long time, so I cope, and everyone who deals with me does too,' Usagi smiles up at Anthy, `Or I beat them up, or sic the lawyers on them, or both.'

Anthy just stares.

`You're supposed to laugh,' Usagi pouts, complete with melted face and big watery eyes.

Utena breaks, gasping as she tries not to fall over, and Anthy smiles.

Usagi stands, turns to Anthy, `Are you sure you're safe here?' she pauses, `Your wards are good, but-' she shrugs, shivering slightly.

`As safe as anywhere on this planet,' Anthy says with a crooked twist of her lips.

Usagi looks up at the girl, shivers again, her hands reflexively checking her gear, then tilts her head, `Come with me.'

-* A *-

`You drive?' Anthy asks, then looks down.

Usagi climbs into the drivers seat, `You can sit in the back with Utena or up front with me,' She smiles, shakes the shift knob back and forth to make sure she's out of gear, then cranks the ancient vehicle over with a whining grind of starter motor, followed by a whistling *putt putt*.

`Is it safe?'

`She's been around longer than your planet has had people on it,' Usagi pushes the clutch to the floor, presses the shift knob down towards the floor, then pulls it back with a noticeable *Chunk*, `And she's never been totaled.'

`What is she?' Anthy settles herself onto the black vinyl-upholstered cushion of the passenger seat, fumbles with her seatbelt a moment before getting it almost to lock. She settles back and it pops loose.

Utena leans forward and forces the recalcitrant mechanism, `Nineteen seventy-four Volkswagen Thing. 1600CC gasoline motor, four-speed manual transmission, rear engine, rear wheel drive, top speed of just over ninety miles an hour.'

`How fast is that in kilometers?'

-* A *-

`This is Yuriko,' Usagi says, as Anthy stares up at the crystalline bulk of a Corellian Yards FTL courier, `I've had her a long time.'

Anthy nods as Usagi pulls the Thing onto the obviously retrofitted freight lift. She shivers suddenly as they are lifted towards the hatch, then relaxes, realizing why they didn't just teleport in, `Her shields are really strong.'

`The main spells are over a thousand years old now. They'll stop Mama, in a rage, with the ginzuisho and her harem to back her. Not for long, but five minutes should be enough time to get out of range,' Usagi shrugs, `And Yuri's not bad at dodging once she's undocked.'

`Mama?' Anthy asks.

`Bitch-queen of the sixty billion,' Usagi shrugs, `Even though it's closer to seventy-five billion, now. Ruler of more than half of known space, rapacious conquerer of peaceful neighbors, all that good stuff.'

`Tsukino Usagi, youngest daughter of Queen Serenity?'

`Please, I've not been the youngest since I was eight.'

`Youngest daughter of her body, then?'

`Nope, not even that, the little one's almost five.'

`Oh.'

`Do you mind if we put Anthy in your room, Utena?'

`I still have a room?'

`What, you think that just because I let you go off to boarding school I'd forget about you?'

`It's not like you've much space.'

`They packed two hundred and ten Dark Kingdom warriors into her on at least two occasions back in the 1990s.'

`For how long?'

`Couple hours each time,' Usagi smiles, unbraiding pink hair, `Besides, it's generally just me and Yuri anyway.'

`Do you mind?' Utena asks Anthy.

She got a little smile and shaken head for an answer.

`I'll be over here, then,' Usagi flops down and pulls her socks off, then leans back against a crystalline bulkhead and closes her eyes. Her fingers twitch as she types a moment.

Anthy follows Utena from the room, pausing at the door, `So she sleeps out there?'

`Yep. She says it's because she's lazy,' Utena looks around the room, `I can grab a sleeping pad and sheets, so you can have the bed. Latrine's on the left, closet's on the right, the arms locker's by the door,' she gestures at the cabinet.

`I don't need that much space,' Anthy looks at the huge bed.

`That's what I told her, and she said that since she'd gone to the trouble of getting sheets for her bed, I had to take this one.'

`Her bed?'

`Something about no one making sheets for a four foot round bed,' Utena points with her chin, Dark Kingdom style, towards the main room.

`Oh, so that's not an antigrav combat platform she's sitting on?'

`It might be that, too,' Utena laughs, turning to look at the other again, smiling at the sight of the pretty girl in her nightgown, sitting on the edge of the bed.

`Come here,' Anthy says, `There's plenty of space, I shouldn't be a bother.'

`It's not trouble, really. You ever been on a night bivy in Antarctica, on Earth? She's got some strange ideas about things to do for summer vacation.'

`Please?' Anthy clenches one hand in the sheets, and the other almost reaches out.

Utena nods, dropping to one knee and reaching for the extended hand, `As you wish.'

Anthy twines their fingers together and tucks their joined hands under her chin, eyes closed.

-* A *-

Utena wakes in the familiar room, pondering the warm hand twined in her own for several minutes before she twists to look at the time display. Fifteen more minutes. She settles back against the bed, turning to watch Anthy sleep, soft dark features twitching as she slowly drifts towards consciousness.

Utena smiles at her as she opens her eyes, and Anthy smiles back.

`Good morning, Himemiya.'

`Good-'

o/~ Do not envy the man with the X-Ray eyes o/~

Anthy startles and Utena smirks at the sight, `Told you the alarm would go off at six thirty.'

`What is that racket?'

`A song that's been out of style for about eight hundred years, knowing Usagi.'

`Oh,' Anthy slips out of bed and makes for the door to the latrine.

`Don't take too long, please.'

`You can join me.'

Utena studies the girl carefully, trying to read what she actually wants, and, as usual, mostly failing. She seems much more enthusiastic than usual, but . . . and she enjoyed it when they danced together, but . . . Utena smiles, again, and says softly, `Not this time. Go ahead.'

Anthy blinks, then nods, still smiling as she turns to the door.

Once she's inside, Utena almost succumbs to the urge to bolt, but instead walks from the room at a normal pace, closing the door behind her, `Help?' she says in a small voice.

Usagi rolls over, still in bed, topsheet tangled around her legs, and puts her head on her hands, `With?'

Utena sits crosslegged in the middle of the room, pulls her knees up and wraps her arms around her pajama-clad legs, `Himemiya is the Rose Bride, prize of the tourney, and I don't want to hurt her.'

`Good,' Usagi nods, `What do you know about this tourney?'

`The rings are magic, and keyed to the contest. Without a ring, you're not a duelist. The others were chosen by "end of the world". Most of them are creeps. The guy who had her when I got involved was hitting her, and she was just putting up with it.'

`Chu.'

A small hand touches Utena's, and she looks down in surprise, `Chu-chu?'

`Chu.'

Utena pets his head, `How did you get in here, anyway?'

`He came in with you. Where'd you find a Mandecovian?'

`He's Himemiya's friend.'

`I think that's a good sign,' Usagi says, `What's the problem?'

`I . . . she . . . ' Utena pauses, then tries again, owning her statements, `I think she's really pretty. I kinda think she maybe likes me, but maybe she's just going along with her role as the Rose Bride, and . . . ' Utena takes a deep breath, `I don't want to feel I need to shoot myself in the forehead, even if she . . . ' she shakes her head, burying her face against her thighs.

`Chu. Chu-Chuch,' Chi-chu hugs Utena's ankle.

`Yeah, what he said, and let her decide.'

`And if she's under a compulsion do do what I want her to?'

`You can still hug her, or let her kiss you, right?'

`But if she doesn't really want to . . . '

`I'll beat the crap out of you for her, if she doesn't, once the tourney's broken. Would that make you feel better?'

Utena laughs, looking up from her knees, `Yeah, I guess it will.'

`Chu- chu,' the little alien agrees.

`Utena,' Anthy says from the doorway, already dressed in her school uniform, `I'm out of the bathroom.'

`Bathroom's over there,' Usagi and Utena say in unison, pointing to a door on the other wall of the main room, then laugh at each other.

`Sorry,' Utena says, getting to her feet, `Someone's been in the Deployable Forces for too long,' she points at Usagi with her chin.

`You want an MRE for breakfast, or what?' Usagi asks back.

`Do you have any C-rats left?'

Usagi shoves herself back, up onto her knees, then directs a quizzical look at the ceiling.

`Actually, we do,' a new voice answers, `Do you actually want one?'

`Himemiya's kinda a vegitarian, Yuri,' Utena says instead.

`Gotcha. Would you like anything in particular, Himemiya-san?'

`No?'

`I'll make pancakes, then, since Utena likes 'em. Do we still got any of the pie filling?' Usagi gets to her feet, clad in just a brown t-shirt and matching panties, and wanders towards yet another door off the main room. `It should still be good, it hasn't come out of the freezer yet,' Yuri answers.

`Good, good,' she scratches under her left arm, and climbs up on the counter to pull down a mixing bowl and a cast-iron skillet.

Anthy watches as she bustles around the kitchen, years of practice mostly making up for slight stature, `Dark Kingdom doctors could rebuild you taller, can't they, even if you're age-locked? It must be difficult to be so small.'

`Being Mandecovian sized would be pretty difficult,' Usagi shakes her head, `But I'm not just age-locked. My other Serial Number is 3876-435-0.'

`What does that mean?'

Usagi pours the first pancake, watches the bubbles rise for a moment, then answers, `Dark Kingdom SNs aren't some sort of secure UUID, just a convenient number that marks your status as a Citizen. If you're just a citizen because you lived to 21 or naturalized - the number is the P.O.E.E. date, followed by a sequence number. Defaults get a six-digit hex number after the date, Enlisted get a four-digit hex number, Officers get a three digit, Warrant Officers get a two-digit, and Sailors get a one-digit. Sailors are zero-indexed, unlike the others, and there's only one Sailor who's serial number doesn't end in zero.'

`Oh,' Anthy blinks at the tiny woman in front of her, `So you're a Sailor,' flickers her right hand fingers over her left hand, working an abacus that isn't there, `and you first transformed when you were _ten_?'

`Give the girl a pancake!' Usagi smiles at her, `I've not seen anyone do that in years,' she preps a plate, sets it on the counter in front of Anthy, places the pot of thick berry syrup on a trisket in easy reach, `with the soroban. I thought the skill was lost, I sure never learned it,' she pauses, `Haven't yet, anyway.'

`It's the only way I can work with hex or octal, but decimal is pretty easy to learn,' Anthy says, standing at the counter.

`You can teach me later, if you want. Sit, eat. Coffee or tea? Sorry, shoulda asked sooner.'

`Coffee's fine,' Anthy drags a stool over a bit, and sits.

`Male and female uniforms, rather than summer and winter?' Usagi greets Utena, putting pancakes on a plate, `Three?'

Utena nods, `Yep. Kinda scary, actually, with the way they raise kids around here,' she takes her plate, pours herself a cup of coffee, and settles onto a stool next to Anthy.

`Yeah, I've noticed that,' Usagi frowns, sips her own coffee, which is half milk, `They speak Japanese, the architecture's kinda French, but most of the settlers came from the United States, and the stupider parts at that.'

Anthy shudders, `At least the Baptist Council's dropped out of sight recently. They were pretty scary.'

Usagi blinks, and shakes her head when Utena opens her mouth to ask about that.

Utena nods, and subsides.

`That wasn't very recent, was it?' Anthy says, `We covered the pogroms in class . . . it's 2775, and they were in the 2200s, right after settlement . . . I don't feel that old . . . ' she sets her cup down, and pushes her plate back before dropping her head onto her layered hands.

Utena shoves the last bite of her breakfast in her mouth and stands, cupping Anthy's shoulder and pulling her close.

Anthy twists, pressing her face into Utena's breast, and whimpers, `Why?'

`I don't know, but we'll stop it,' Utena looks up at Usagi's voice, `Right?'

`Right,' Utena says firmly, hugging the girl in her arms as Usagi walks out to get dressed.

She's still leaned back against the counter, the side of her face pressed to the top of Anthy's head when Usagi comes back into the room, tosses her uniform coat on the counter, and starts washing the dishes.

`You still carrying the five point seven?'

`Of course,' Utena says, taking a moment to check the weapon on her strong-side hip, under the familiar chill of its concealment spells.

`Good. How many people know of it?'

`It's just not done around here, so no one's looking beyond the normal metal detectors and stuff. The people who know I'm a Darkling should know, but probably don't.'

`OK.' A bit later Usagi grabs up her coat and shrugs it on, shakes her hands dry again, `Let's go.'

`Himemiya?' Utena asks.

`Hmmm,' Anthy sits up, then slides off her stool. Utena gives her a hug, then offers her hand.

-* A *-

Usagi frowns as she parks the Thing, barely paying attention, focused on Anthy, `Are you OK, Himemiya?'

`Yes,' Anthy flinches again, `It's just that the swords couldn't find me last night, so they're angrier than normal.'

`Swords?'

`The swords of the world's hatred,' Anthy says, not really paying attention to anything beyond Utena's hand, wrapped in her own and, again, tucked under her chin.

`Usagi,' Utena turns pleading eyes on her guardian, `Please.'

`Soon,' She jerks up the parking brake with a ratcheting *krickikikir* `What are the keys to tactical victory?'

`Good intelligence, sufficient firepower, and violence of action,' Utena answers, climbing out of the doorless vehicle, then helping Anthy out.

`Strategic?'

`Logistics, aerospace superiority, and overwhelming artillery support,' Utena smiles, suddenly, `So we've got this problem, you're saying?'

`Once I know what the problem is, yes, we do.'

-* A *-

`I've been out of school for a bit, so I'm auditing a few classes to see where I'm at, sensei,' Usagi smiles up at the thirty-ish man at the front of the class, hands clasped around one dark-clad knee. Once he turns back to the rest of the class she places her hands on the desk in front of her, leans forward a bit. At the end of class she twitches, then just pulls the black uniform jacket down, rather than let herself make the full equipment check she wants to make.

She wanders out in the middle of math class with a little wave towards the pretty woman teaching, and follows the green-haired boy with the duelist's ring. -* A *-

Usagi drops three rose-seal rings into Utena's hand, a fourth on her ring finger, `I had to mug four of 'em before I found one that'd fit.'

`That leaves,' Anthy pauses, `Three of them?'

`I think so. You want one? Miki's might fit you.'

`I,' she pauses, `It would be different.'

`Mug?' Utena asks, as she slips the smallest of the rings onto Anthy's finger.

`Beat someone up and take their stuff. Rob, as opposed to steal or pilfer.'

`Oh.'

`Let's go, I need to talk to the honcho about punching Saionji in the balls, apparently.'

`And they let you go without an escort?'

`It's not like they could do much with me anyway.'

`They're not usually that smart around here,' Anthy says.

`Which is why the escort's in the janitor's closet in Alden hall.'

`Oh.'

`Honcho's been through a lot of names, but is currently going by Ohtori Akio. Stupid bastard's been showing up regularly in the promo lit for this place since the late 2100s, so . . . '

`He's my brother,' Anthy says, `But he got broken when I tried to save him from the swords.' Utena clutches her close, and presses her face to Anthy's neck. Anthy pats her back awkwardly.

`Fuck,' Usagi says, and waits for Utena to recover her composure before leading off again.

-* A *-

`So, what the fuck are you trying to accomplish?' Usagi steps forward, Utena holding Anthy close behind her.

Akio smiles, `The Revolution of the World.'

`This world? This universe? Some chunk of the multiverse?'

`The World.'

`You don't know, do you,' Usagi pauses, staring at the tall, dark skinned, white haired boy in front of her.

`Of course I do.'

`And what the _Fuck_,' she punctuates the word with a sharp jab of her bladed hand, drill-sergeant style, `Will this revolution accomplish?'

`Why, the Revolution of the World.'

`Right, you just said that. Use different words.'

`There are no other words,' he scowls, and draws a sword from nowhere.

Usagi slaps it to the side, and her answering fist stops a bare inch from his pants in a flash of light.

`Atchatcha,' she says, shaking her hand, then her black uniform shakes into something completely different, short pink skirt over a white bodysuit, and she brandishes something in one hand, `Pink Sugar Heart Attack!'

A barrage of little pink hearts splash against his shields, then against his skin, tickling, making him laugh. He continues to laugh even as Usagi leaps, grabbing his collar with her left hand as she brings the stainless steel .45 against his eye with the right.

*BLAM* Akio drops, blood and gore spouting everywhere, and Anthy screams, clutching her face as she curls into a fetal position.

`Well, fuck,' Usagi turns Akio's body over with one foot, a frown marring her lightly blood-splattered face, `He's not dead, probably due to her link with him. Is she OK?'

`That hurt,' Anthy says, getting, with Utena's help, upright, but not up, one hand still clutched to her face, `But I think I'll be fine.'

`Good. I didn't expect that,' she looks down at the body, which is no longer bleeding, the destroyed eye already beginning to regenerate, `Yuri, hypercom, we need a forensic mage team here, old magic, unknown tradition, major working, stat. He may be functional again in as little as eight hours.'

`Message sent.'

Brilliant purple light flares through the vaulted space a few minutes later. Six Sailors and twelve police mages drop hands, and turn to look around the room.

Utena watches the Sailors approach.

`Who are they?' Anthy asks, after a quick glance followed by a wince.

`Moon, Mars, Chibi-Moon, Saturn, Nox and Erebus.'

The first four head over to Usagi and Akio's body, the later two drop to one knee on either side of Anthy.

`Hmm,' Erebus sets her pale grey gloved hand on Anthy's head, `Feel it?'

`Got it,' Nox gathers something pale and glowing up in her black gloved hands, pulling on it until it resolves into a cord, then ties a black ribbon she pulls from her LBV around it, wrapping it twice before cinching it tight, and letting it go.

The cord vanishes, and she turns to Anthy, `Is that better, dear?'

Anthy sags into Utena, `Yes.'

`You've got her?' Erebus asks softly.

`Yes,' Utena tucks the girl under her chin, `I've got her.'

`Good.' Nox and Erebus share a smile, then turn towards the others.

-* A *-

`Isn't it kind of . . . odd . . . to be hanging out with yourself?' Utena asks, watching Hotaru and the older Usagis bustle about the East Hall kitchen.

`No, odd was realizing, in one of the clearest memories I've got from when I was about five, that the women who were babysitting me were me and my wife, who'd been together for almost seven hundred years at that point, and thinking "well, I'll be prettier than Yoda after nine hundred years."'

`That might be a bit odd,' Anthy smiles, and cuddles Utena close.

`They're still not sure what the working was supposed to do,' Asami says, stepping into the room, `But they've untangled most of it, and released the energy. We're pretty sure you're severed from it, Himemiya-san.'

`Good.'

`Do you remember what happened?'

`Somewhat. I remember a little bit of being a kid, and the last couple years, but most of the intervening time is . . . really blurred together. I don't think that's a bad thing,' she blinks, and Utena presses a kiss against her hair, `Will my brother be OK again?'

`I don't know. His persona matrix shattered when Moon blew his brains out, but it looks like he's forming a new one. Unless you object we'll find him a foster family in the Dark Kingdom.'

`Please,' Anthy says into Utena's breast, `I just wanted him to be happy.'

`We'll do our best.'

`Thank you.'

~ Fin ~

Log:  
3173/Confusion/12: This came up from a thought - Chibi-Usa probably baby-sat herself. DKR Chibi-Usa definately did. So where do you put a line like "And I thought it was odd to have yourself and your wife who was born seven hundred years before you and is four hundred years younger than you for baby-sitters."?  
3173/Confusion/15: First draft finished. Still needs a title, and the temptation to pontificate in places was strong.  
3173/Confusion/19: changed out a theory for a tradition. Still no comments, email, nothing . . . Maybe no one else does read these (yes, that is fishing for feedback)  
3173/Confusion/33: Decided the flashback didn't fit, and whacked it. Still no comments.  
3181/Confusion/10: Decided on a name.

3183/Confusion/44: Edited for posting to ff.n


End file.
